Swedish company SSAB and Germany’s Rheinmetall have signed an agreement to supply decarbonized steel for defense manufacturing.
SSAB said that Rheinmetall would be the first defense equipment producer to use fossil-free steel in its production processes.
Under the planned cooperation, SSAB will start by supplying its SSAB Zero product, with delivery volumes ramping up over time.
SSAB Zero is the first commercially available steel produced from recycled material and manufactured using a process that cuts fossil-based carbon emissions to near zero without affecting performance or quality.
SSAB stated that the cooperation represents an early step toward lowering emissions across defense-related industrial supply chains.
Future supply is expected to include SSAB’s fossil-free steel produced using HYBRIT technology, which uses hydrogen to reduce iron ore into sponge iron, replacing the coal-based step that generates most CO2 emissions.
In the hydrogen-based process, the reaction releases water rather than CO2.
Decarbonizing Defense
Rheinmetall is expanding its efforts to decarbonize defense manufacturing and energy supply.
Building on previous initiatives, the German company announced plans to build a network of synthetic fuel plants across Europe under the “Giga PtX” project.
Each modular facility is designed to produce 5,000 to 7,000 tons of diesel, jet fuel, or marine fuel annually, using renewable energy and captured CO2 to create cleaner-burning “e-fuels.”
Energy partners Sunfire, Greenlyte Carbon Technologies, and INERATEC will provide technical expertise, while Rheinmetall will oversee the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the sites.
The consortium indicated that the initial phase of plant construction could start shortly, subject to political and regulatory clearance.
